Davis set to leave Portsmouth as Campbell’s future hangs in the balance.
Posted on | June 18, 2009 | No Comments
Well, The Sun seems to have laid off the Portsmouth takeover for now, although that should probably be a source of worry really. After all, when you have left your child in the next room and hear nothing but blissful silence for a while, you can bet your bottom dollar they are up to no good.
More concrete information is now coming to light regarding the futures of some of the Pompey players. Sean Davis looks almost certain to sign for Bolton Wanderers on July 1st, and Peter Storrie has said that Sol Campbell is likely to be offered a pay-as-you-play deal for next season. I would like to shy away from the tiresome speculation and comment on these two players.
Sean Davis looks like he’s off to Bolton, despite being the only out-of-contract Pompey player to have been offered a new deal. In truth, it has been on the cards for months. Whether this is a loss or progress obviously depends entirely on the buyout and the club’s ambition for next season. Assuming all is to turn out as promised, he will not be a long term loss. That is not to say I don’t rate him as a player. He is tenacious and can pass, but there is something missing at the very top level. Yes, he is a cut above Hughes and Mullins, but this is not a particularly flattering comparison for him.
We must also not forget the important role he played in saving the club from relegation in his first season (along with his ex-Tottenham compatriots, Pedro Mendes and Noe Pamarot) when he was eventually head and shoulders above anything else we had in midfield at the time. To be honest, this was probably the case even when he first arrived, massively unfit (remember Jhon Viafara, anyone?).
Between then and now have been some committed and classy performances, but not quite enough consistency at the very top level for me. The offer of a new deal was the right decision, but I’m not sure he ever quite got over his lack of first team opportunities in the second half of the FA Cup winning season (after playing really well in the opening months), or indeed his omission from the Cup Final squad itself. Thank you Sean, we wish you well.
Sol Campbell is reportedly to be offered a pay-as-you-play deal for the coming season. I’m not sure he will go for it, but it sounds about right to me. He was a coup when he joined the club three years ago, and he has been a solid servant. Whilst he can still produce the inspired performances within the grasp of players of his class, we have all noticed his gradual decline and struggle with pace. His performances don’t now warrant the huge wages it took to entice him here. He may have success with a club like Basle in Switzerland as a bigger fish in a smaller pond. However, the opportunity is there for him, if he can accept his reduced standing (age catches up with us all, Sol), to stay in familiar surroundings and play a part in a bright new future.
Tags: Bolton Wanderers > FA Cup > FC Basle > Hayden Mullins > Jhon Viafara > Noe Pamarot > Pedro Mendes > Peter Storrie > Pompey > Portsmouth > Portsmouth takeover > Richard Hughes > Sean Davis > Sol Campbell > The Sun
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